EMEWS
182
Chairman’s
spot
We are now well into
the new year which will I am sure be a year of many changes within the sport
both locally and nationally.
I am pleased to
report that Ranald MacDonald has been elected Vice Chairman and I look forward
to his support during my tenure as Chairman.
As an association we
therefore have two of our four principal official positions filled by new faces
and a new venue for our meetings.
As part of the
housekeeping exercise undertaken to kick start the new regime we have reviewed
the roles required to effectively run your association and propose recommending
to the membership a change of constitution to create two new
positions.
Despite development
being one of the main aims identified in our plans we do not have a Development
Officer and we will be seeking approval to create this role. In effect Pauline
Olivant has carried out large parts of what would be deemed this function as
part of other roles she has had (although not actually a member of the
committee) but as these are drawing to a close we feel it appropriate to seek a
volunteer for such a post. It would also involve monitoring the regions
performance to it’s development plan which has to date been done by the Vice
Chairman.
Similarly our
constitution does not provide for a Mapping Officer. We have co-opted Mike
Godfree on to the committee as our mapping representative but as BOF does not
have a mapping committee as such his role cannot technically by a committee
position. We propose seeking approval to create this position as it is felt
essential that the principal tool of our sport should be given due attention and
he can provide a conduit for debate and information to pass both ways between
clubs and the BOF Map Group which works under the auspices of the Technical
Committee.
Our Treasurer will
have completed his three years tour of duty by the next AGM and we will
therefore be looking for three new officials and perhaps you would all give
thought as to whether you would like to put yourselves forward in due
course.
At present the
committee meets in alternate months at Kegworth and it seems unlikely that any
changes within the BOF national structures will change
this.
You will all be well
aware from BOF mailings that original ideas for major change at BOF have been
scuppered but events are moving rapidly towards the next BOF AGM by which time
many of the administrative changes envisaged within the original plan will be
back on the table.
Electronic punching
is now successfully being adopted within the region and thanks are due to John
Allen for his work on our behalf.
Looking ahead, we are
to run day 2 of the 2003 JK and have appointed an organiser, Chris Philips of
LEI, but still require a planner. The status of the event restricts considerably
the number of members qualified to take on this role and I would ask those
individuals to seriously consider having a go at this prestigious event.
We have a number of night events in the
calendar but unfortunately given the late provision of details to our fixtures
secretary they will not this year be incorporated into a night league as such.
To prevent such a problem arising again next year all clubs are asked to
finalise such arrangements before the end of September and let Ian Whitehead
have them to publicise a league before the events actually
begin.
I hope you are all
working on development or promotional schemes for our competition for a grant to
assist funding. Entries must be in by May.
By the time this goes
to press we will have staged our Championships and the results will be known. I
should like to congratulate all the winners and commend all other participants
for their endeavours.
As you read this I
will be the other side of the world and would wish you fulfilment in your
orienteering and better weather than we have seen of late and I look forward to
seeing you in the woods again later in the year.
Roy Denney
Congratulations !
To Karen and Andy
Jackson on the birth of their son, Matthew David.
Born on Monday 5th
February and weighing in at 6lb 3oz (as orienteering
is a metric sport I feel that we should have the weight in Kilos, but
unfortunately I can’t find a conversion table at the
moment).
A little brother for
Nicola, mother and son both doing well.
Karen hopes to be running at Newborough in early March (subsequently
cancelled ed.)
Congratulations also
to Anne Marie and John Duckworth on the birth of their baby girl. Mother and
baby are both fine. Details to
follow : (This was picked up from the DVO web
site at www.dvo.org.uk where the details mentioned will
appear)
Sports Personality
of the Month
I have two
nominations for Sports Personality of the Month. Both are from DVO but there the
connection ends. My first
nomination is for Karen Jackson who was still orienteering just a few days
before the birth of she and Andy’s new son (see above) and had intended to be
back for the Newborough National Event.
We shall never know whether she would have made it as the event was
cancelled, but my money was on Karen.
My second nomination,
James Allen, came to light when I received an email from him informing me that
the Shining Cliff badge event was cancelled. James had obviously not only had to type
in all the email addresses, but more difficult still, interpret them from the
handwritten entry forms. I
have no doubt others were involved in notifying everyone of the cancellation, if
so they can consider themselves included in the
nomination.
BRITISH SCHOOLS
ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2001
Saturday 17
November Training Event
(Venues
undecided)
World Schools Championships Selection Race
Sunday 18
November
British Schools Orienteering Championships
Sherwood
Pines
This year EMOA is
hosting this weekend of junior orienteering. For the young people who compete this is
a very special event and may be a stepping stone to future national and
international success. Described as a “Championship Event with a Colour Coded
income” it will be a challenge to deliver a successful weekend so we are asking
for the support of all members of EMOA.
There are 3 things
you can do now:
¨
Note the dates
in your diaries and try to keep them free.
¨
Ring us (tel
(0115) 922 5578) if you could team lead a particular area of the weekend’s
activities.
¨
Talk nicely to
philanthropic employers and colleagues and ascertain if they would be willing to
lend financial support. Every
little counts and it is the type of event which they can include in their “we
help the community” claims. (Please do not make any firm promises/agreements
without contacting me first - after all, we do not want 4 different sets of
medals!)
On the weekend there
will be many opportunities to help including jobs suitable for
non-orienteers. Perhaps you
have a kindly face and could reassure nervous youngsters at the Start? You may prefer to be in the woods and
could be an in-forest marshal helping lost children. If you would rather be indoors you could
help by acting as a liaison person between accommodation/catering staff
(hopefully in a local school) and the teachers. The list is endless (or so it seems at
the moment!). Previous volunteers have commented on the great satisfaction they
gained from helping with the event, we hope you will feel the same in 8 months
time!
Mick Lucking
HOW TO GET A RUN AT
THE BRITISH SCHOOLS ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS
The British Schools O
Championships is usually a great day out.
There are over 1000 competitors, 300 prizes, a memento for each runner
and last year there were even fireworks!
In addition to the main championships, selection races for the World
Schools Championships in Portugal in 2002 will be taking place on the
Saturday. Why not ask your teachers/coaches if you are eligible for
these?
It is possible to
enter BSOC as an individual but you must enter via your school and your Head
teacher must sign the form. It is
also more expensive to enter this way because there is a charge (at least £5)
for each school which is on top of the individual entry fees. It is much better if you can arrange a
team. This means you have got to
recruit at least 2 other team members and help them complete 3 orienteering
courses before November 18th. The courses at the British Schools are
usually quite straightforward so only basic orienteering skills need to be
mastered. If your school does not
organise any orienteering it should be possible to get some help from the
coaches in your club. Alternately,
Pauline Olivant, is the Schools Development Officer for the East Midlands and
she will be able to offer some assistance.
Although it sounds
difficult to enter it could be well worth the effort. There is a separate class for each
school year so you may not be racing against your usual rivals – as an
experienced junior orienteer this could be your chance for
glory.
Angela Lucking
JUNIOR COMPETITION
We will need some posters around the Assembly Area to
discourage the dropping of litter and would like your help. Instead of the usual “NO LITTER PLEASE”
we would prefer to use
colourful and imaginative posters designed by junior orienteers. Please use your pencils/pens/computer
drawing packages to design some posters and send them to us at
6 Long Lane,
Attenborough,
Nottingham NG9 6BG.
The posters will need to be at least A4 size (preferably
A3) and we will not be able to return them. However we will give a small prize
to the designer of every poster we use.
Do not forget to put your name, address and telephone no. on the back of
the picture so we can contact you!
Closing date August
31st.
The Editor’s
Ramblings
As I write this I
should be out “enjoying” myself at DVO’s Shining Cliff Badge Event. Unfortunately Shining Cliff had to be
cancelled due to the outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease. I must admit that the connection between
Foot and Mouth and orienteering had not really occured to me until I received an
email informing me that the event was cancelled. Checking the BOF web-site I discovered
that several other events were also cancelled including the National Event due
to take place on 3rd March at Newborough on Anglesey. The use of email and the Internet
demonstrates how communication has moved on in recent years.
The last outbreak of
Foot and Mouth was, I believe, in 1967.
Orienteering was in its infancy in this country then so presumably it had
little impact on the sport. Today
it could have a devastating effect on orienteering if it carries on for any
length of time (hopefully by the time you read this the worst will be over, but
who knows).
Whilst it means a lot
of work by a lot of people going to waste (hopefully some of the planning etc.
may be able to be used in a future event) this is nothing compared to the
catastrophic effect on the farmers whose livestock has to be slaughtered and
whose livelihood is in jeopardy.
For the moment we
will have to put up with the relatively minor inconvenience of missing our Sunday “relaxation” until
the crisis is over. The message at
the moment is stay away from the countryside unless you absolutely have to, or,
of course, if you happen to live in the country.
John Cooke
A screenshot of the BOF web-site on Sunday 25th
Feb
Letter to the
editor
18 January 2001
Sir,
The policies and
procedures which spring regularly from BOF and the Regions will be of little
avail if costs to the competitor rise unreasonably.
BOF Restructuring, an
independent Financial Advisor (how pretentious), a projected budget, a C3 event
which "is not a badge event but it is of the same status in all respects"(!),
and a new competition for 35s+ based on ranking points do not give one
confidence that commonsense is at large.
Entry fees keep
rising and parking fees are now common.
But it is the DEE Newborough National Event which has provoked this
letter. Entry fee £9; Parking £1; 2
9x6 SAEs £0.54; paper details £0.50; paper results £1.00. Total
£12.04.
There is
discrimination at work here and not just because 1 am a poor pensioner. Entry is via the lnternet and if
you do not do this you will be penalised.
Their explanation is that they wish to cut down the workload so they will
only send out paper details and results if you pay extra.
But presumably their
workload will decrease anyway if a number enter on the net. So why penalise those who do not
access. This is
discrimination. And eventually as
more greedy organisers see that they can get away with it it will become
blackmail.
1 should add also
that at the time of writing 1 have not received the results from SYO Burbage
National Event on 3 December. So
much for the lightning fast computer.
In any case a national event is not the big deal which we like to make
out.
Yours
faithfully
Keith
Picksley
(Those with
Internet access could argue that they pay in different ways e.g. the cost
of Internet access and phone calls
and the costs of paper and toner or ink to print out details or results, plus
the initial cost of the computer, printer etc. Does anyone else have a strong view on
the subject ed.)
Judy Buckley,
1947-2001
The orienteering
world will be saddened to hear of the recent death of Judy Buckley, who for
several decades has been one of the most active members of Derwent Valley
Orienteers and a consistent top performer in the sport. Judy’s love of outdoor
exercise started at school in her native Chesterfield (when she completed the
Pennine Way on her third attempt) and developed when she was a maths student at
the University of Bangor, where she met her future husband
Steve.
Judy’s first taste
of orienteering was in the very early days of the sport when maps were
monochrome photocopies of the OS 1:25,000 and an essential part of pre-race
preparation was the doctoring of the map with a blue crayon to show streams
which photocopiers didn’t pick up. This was long before the days of recommended
winning times, and courses might be long and arduous, and hideously unfair by
current standards. Judy once recalled her first competition, the 1969 BUSF in
Grizedale, where she won the Wayfarers course - in three hours!
On leaving
university in 1970 armed with teaching qualifications, Judy and Steve settled in
Belper, Derbyshire where they rapidly discovered that a new orienteering club,
of which Jenny Tennant was one of the pioneers, had just been formed to serve
the Derwent Valley. They rapidly became pillars of DVO, being heavily involved
in putting on events - all members helped with every event then - and managing
the club - not too difficult when the whole club could easily assemble in even
Jenny’s cottage lounge at Blue Mountains. Also, at that time, and for some years
later the club dinner was hosted by Judy and Steve: memories are of gargantuan
meals to which only those running 50 miles a week could do justice. (And not
many orienteers ran 50 miles a week in those days!) Judy was always in the thick
of the club’s social activities, despite having to maintain her position of
serious competitor with serious ambitions!
It rapidly became
apparent that Judy had a natural talent for navigation. Her forte was fine
navigation in detailed and rough terrain, where speed was of less value, but she
was a good all-rounder and would always give a good account of herself. While
the individual character of orienteering suited Judy’s self-reliant character,
she was never happier than when competing in relay events with her fellow club
members. There were many team successes, with even an entry in the Guinness Book
of Records, but as often as not her less consistent team mates would let her
down on the big day - missing a control, or punching the wrong control in the
heat of the chase - something which, despite her competitive nature, only ever
evoked from her a sympathetic response. In the individual sphere, she regarded
her win in JK88 as her finest achievement.
In her professional
life, Judy was a vigorous, committed and successful teacher. As well as normal
teaching duties she was often involved in extra-curricular activities such as
running sports clubs and cross-country teams.
It was not too long
before motherhood came into the picture, but like many orienteers Judy was adept
at organising her life to ensure that such things did not hamper training and
competition. Soon Alastair, and two years later, Kim were being carted around
events in carry-cots and papooses all over the country and to mid week training
venues. In addition, Judy was planning and organising events as well as holding
down a demanding full time job. Before long, the youngsters were competing
themselves, demonstrating that their mother’s genes were not lying idle, and
impressing Junior Squad officials.
Around this time
Judy and Steve both started to get interested in longer outings like the
Karrimor and long distance walks in the Alps and other such areas. Judy loved
the challenge of flying out of the country with just a backpack (and Steve, of
course), ahead of her 14 days or so totally unsupported, camping high in the
hills, and getting away from the pressures of a busy life. By the end of what
was to be her last summer they had, over several trips, walked the entire length
of the Western Alps between Liechtenstein and Nice. Many times Judy has
completed the KIMM with a variety of DVO partners, often pushing them with her
encouragement and determination to levels of performance undreamt of, usually in
a class perhaps one step higher than what might have been comfortable. Being too
comfortable was never part of Judy’s gameplan!
A cloud appeared on
the horizon in 1991 in the form of a breast tumour which turned out to be
malignant. After the initial shock of diagnosis and treatment Judy was soon back
in action with, if anything, an even more determined attitude. By now she was
giving valuable support to her offspring’s international ambitions. For a long
time Judy has been confident that Kim would be a WM medal winner, and while she
has not survived long enough to see this dream come true, no doubt she was
pleased to be spared long enough to see Kim compete with distinction in
WM99.
Only Judy’s family
and closest friends will be aware of her strength in supporting other people who
have fallen unlucky in life’s lottery. Her loyalty towards and interest in the
lives of her friends have been her hallmark. Just one example of many: recently
a friend lost her husband prematurely to cancer. Judy was her rock through a
difficult time, a period such as that which Steve, by cruel irony, is himself
now enduring. For in the spring of 1999 a lot of pain in the shoulder turned out
to be a secondary cancer in the liver. She was given a few weeks to live. For
many this would have been the signal to give in but this was a phrase despised
by Judy. She sailed through a course of chemotherapy without ever taking time
off work and by the end of 1999 a miracle seemed to have occurred. She and Steve
had promised themselves a sabbatical which they somehow, don’t ask me how,
managed to negotiate with their respective headteachers, and over Christmas they
were off for the World Masters in New Zealand. It was almost as if Judy’s
determination to make and enjoy this trip had cured her, but sadly this was a
temporary relief and on her return the news was more worrying. All through 2000
treatment continued which even a few weeks ago was deemed to have worked again.
But even the strongest frame can only take so much and it seems that in the end
the side effects of treatment were too much.
Judy has always
lived life to the full, but particularly in the last 10 years. She has shown us
how to use every minute positively, enjoying what was available. She has left a
hole not only in her family’s lives but in the lives of a much wider
group.
Roger & Debbie
Wilkinson
My memories of Judy
reach back into the past when DVO had just begun Wednesday evening training at
my home, 17 Blue Mountains. With the persistent enthusiasm, which characterised
everything she did, Alastair and Kim were brought in their carrycots. One would
be placed under the sink and the other on the back door step! Then there were
the occasions she wouldn't let you forget, like when she went round too fast in
a relay at Thetford and I wasn't ready and waiting - and one I wouldn't let her
forget when she kicked me at the last control at some badge
event.
Happy memories they
are. Latterly her fortitude has been a model for us all.
Jenny Tennant, a founder and now honorary life member of DVO.